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General Federation 

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Women's Clubs 



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STUDIES \H CONTEMPORARY DRAMA 



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Prepared by S. Marion Tucker/ president of the New York Drama 
League, for the Department of Drama, General Federation of Wo- 
men's Clubs. 



isseud by the Department of Literature and Library Extension of the 
Genera! Federation of Women's Clubs. 



PRICE, 10c. 



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1 



General Federation of Women's Clubs 



PRESIDENT 

Mrs. Joseph Evans CowJes, 1101 West Adams Street. 
Los Angeles, Cal, 

LITERATURE AND LIBRARY EXTENSION DEPARTMENT 

Mrs. True Worthy White, Chairman, 120 Boy 1 sum St., 
Boston, Mass. 

ADVISER FOR DRAMA 
Mrs. Edward E. Eslick, Pulaski, Tennessee. 



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AP8 30 i^u J 



STUDIES IN CONTEMPORARY DRAMA 



A DISCUSSION OF SOME REPRESENTATIVE PLAYS OF LEAD- 
:g MC 
SAY IT. 



ING MODERN DRAMATISTS; WHAT THEY SAY AND HOW THEY 



THE UNITY OF C NTEMPoRARY DRAM \ 

While the drama of each country has its special characteristics, and / 
each dramatist has his own peculiarities, contemporary drama as a / 
whole shows remarkable unity both of form and subject-matter. In 
general, the same types of plays, methods of technique, points of / 
view, and even the very same themes, are to be found all over Europe/ 
and America. For this reason, a convenient method of study is to' 
consider contemporary drama as a whole. The field is so vast and the, 
product so complex, that no course of study could hope to indicate 
more than a few of its aspects. The present eotfrse is simply sugges- 
tive; it leaves much untouched, and even within its own limits leaves 
much to be desired. / 

THE DRAMA AS LITERATURE 

There is of course no essential connection between the "drama" and 
"literature." Literature implies words, at least, but we may have a 
play even withont Words, that is, a pantomine. Again, a play may be 
effective upon the stage, yet possess no literary merit whatever. A 
play becomes literature just as does any other piece of writing, by 
truth of content or b v beauty of style, or by both. On the other hand, 
a piece may be written in "dramatic" form yet may not be a play at 
all; it is certainly not a play unless it possesses qualities that fit it for 
the stage. The great plays are those which do possess such qualities 
and which possess literary merit as well. These, verv few in number 
compared with the total product, constitute what is termed "dramatic 
literature." The merely academic, "literary," study of a play can nev- 
er be entirely satisfactory; a play does not really live and fulfil its 
function unril it is presented "in a theatre, by actors, before an audi- 
ence." Yet. if one cannot see and hear great plays, the next best thing 
is to read and discuss them. 

WHAT IS A PLAY? 

"A play is any presentation of human life by human interpreters on a 
stage in a theatre before a representative a udience. The pay intrinsi- 



cally, and its representation by the interpreters, must be so effective, 
interesting, and moving' as to induce the normal individual in appreci- 
able numbers to make a sacrifice of money and time, either one or 
both, for the privilege of witnessing its performance. The subject of 
a play may be chosen from life on the normal plane of human experi- 
ence or the higher plane of fantasy and imagination. Both the action 
and the characters of the play ma v be dynamic, static, or passive. By 
action is designated every exhibition of relative mobility in the charac- 
ters themselves, whether corporeal or spiritual, relative to the- process 
of elucidation and exposition of the play; as well as all events, explicit 
or implicit, in the outer world of deed or the inner life of thought, pres- 
ent or antecedent, which directly affect the destinies of the characters, 
immediately or ultimately. The characters may be evolutonal, static, 
or mechanical — ranging from the higher forms of tragedy, comedy, 
tragi-comedy through all forms of the play down to the lower species of 
melodrama, farce, and pantomine." Henderson, The Changing Drama, 
1 11.180-181. 



5 



METHOD OF THE COURSE 



1. Some twenty plays will be read, and will then be discussed by 
the Club in general. These plays are representative of (a) various 
countries and (b) of various methods of approach and treatment, and 
various kinds of subject-matter and technik. For convenience as many 
as are pracicable of, the plays are chosen from Dickinson's "Chief 
Contemporary Dramatists." 

2. The program in many casee provides -for a brief introductory 
talk or paper on the type of play under discussion. These introduc- 
tions should not exceed fifteen minutes and many of them may be given 
in ten, or even in five, minutes. They should be very clear and very 
brief. Material for some of them may be found under the appropriate 
chapter headings in Chandler's Asoects Of Modern Drama, a book to 
which the present course is indebted for many suggestions. 

3. In order to direct the discuss ian to definite ends, a set of study 
questions is provided. These cover many important points on subject- 
matter and form, and are based in a. general way on Matthews' A 
Study Of the Drama, a book useful for this course. 

4. Members of the Club should read as man v plays as possible in 
addition to those named for discussion. The value of the present 
course depends largely upon the number of plays read. Plays may be 
read very rapidly, and they soon prove to be both more interesting 
and more suggestive than fiction. Under each type of play in this 
program, will be found various plays suggested as parallel reading and 
the list at the end provides others. 

5. Read the p!ays themselves; do not read criticism, at least not at 



first. A first-hand knowledge onl v is valuable. 

6. The discussion of the plays should be conducted by the members 
of the club, a different leader being appointed for each play. 



I. NATUKALISM: 

MAN AS THE PRODUCT OF NATURAL AND SOCIAL FORCES 

"Naturalism" shows man as the product of heredity and environ- 
ment; presents photographic reproductions of life, without retouching 
or toning down; any without attempt to prove any thesis or solve any 
problem. It aims to be absolutely objective, without any indication of 
the author's point of view, sympathies or convictions. It seems to 
prefer to picture the life of the lower orders; its characters are often / 
crude, elemental, sometimes brutal ;its dialogue professes to reproduce/ 
that of real life. It represents an extreme reaction from the unreal/' 
insincere ,theatriealism of the past. It merges into "realism," ani 
there is no strict dividing line between the two. It is more character- 
istic of the drama of Russia and of Germany than of the South of Mi- 
rope or of Great Britain and America. Hauptmann is perhaps jhe 
greatest of the "naturalists." (Consult Chandler, ch. II, and Hender- 
son, ch. V.) 

1. Discussion of Hauptmann's tragedy "The Weavers." one of /the 
most celebrated modern plays, which shows a class oppressed by sOcial 
conditions — a study in poverty and revolt; plot is here subordinate to 
setting, but each one of the five acts adds something to the develop- 
ment of the action, which crashes into tragedy at the close. Interest 
('enters not in individuals but in the real protagonist of the play — the 



Mob. Seemingly careless in technique, "The Weavers' 



really con* 



structed with the highest dramaturgic skill. (Questions 4(c), (d), (e) ; 
7, 8.) Compare Andrief's "Savva"; Becque's "The Vultures"; Gor- 
ky's "The Lower Depths"; Lawrence's "The Widowing of Mrs. Hol- 
royd"; Masefield's "The Tragedy of Nan"; Strindberg's "Miss Julia"; 
Tolstoi's "The ^Power of Darkness." 



II. REALISM: THE FORMAL CRITICISM OF LIFE 

"Naturalism" is simply extreme "reulism"; "realism," modfied "nat- 
uralism"; there is no strict division between the two methods and 
points of view. The realist shows man in a wider and more complex 
milieu, but the directing and controlling social forces rather than dom- 
inated by them. The realist does more than simply renroduce life : h& 
reconstructs it accoridng to some preconceived plan, in order to illus- 
trate what he conceives to be a truth, social, moral, or otherwise. He 
may not state, or even imply ,any thesis, but his work is always more 
or less a criticism. He seems more artful in his technique than the nat- 
uralist, but he always aims to produce the illusion of reality. 



1 



A. PLAYS OF SOCIAL CRITICISM 
1 (a) Brief statement of the purpose, subject-matter, and method 
of the "drama of social criticism"; its universal prevalence, etc. See 
Chandler, ch. XV. 

l (b) Marriage as a Social Institution. Discussion of Barker's 

"The Madras House," a comedy which presents various phases of mar- 
ried life and of the "woman question"; an example of the discursive 
drama, loose in structure, of little action, relying for its effects upon 
subtle characterization and dialogue ; perhaps too purely intellectual for 
complete success upon the stage. (Questions 3, 4c, 4f, 8, 9.) Compare 
Brieux's "The Three Daughters of M. Dupont"; Shaw's "Getting Mar- 
ried." 

2. Parenthood as a Social Factor; Parenthood without Marriage: 
Discussion of Suderrnan's "Magda," the masterpiece of an expert tech- 
nician; one of the most widely known of modern plays, which shows 
a woman who claims the right of motherhood without marriage, in de- 
fiance of custom and convention and shows, too, the conflict between 
the older and the younger generation. (Questions 3, 4c, 4d, 7.) Com- 
[pare Bergstrom's "Karen Borneman"; Barker's "Waste"; Brieux's 
"Maternity." 

1 3. Divorce: Discussion of Hervien's "The Labyrinth," the tragedy 
of a woman, divorced and re-married, involved in a disastrous and 
seemingly inevitable conflict; an adroitly constructed play, with a pow- 
erful dramatic struggle. (Question 3, 4a, 4d, 7.) Compare Mitchells' 
"The New York Idea"; Strindberg's "Creditors" and "The Link"; Tols- 
toi's "The Man Who was Dead": Riva's "The Claws." 

4. Sex Morality; the "Double Standard": Discussion of Bjornsons 

"The Gauntlet," a plea for the abolition of the "double standard" ; a 
fine play, but one too obviously built to , prove a thesis. (Questions 2, 
3, 4d, 5, 9.) Compare Ervine's "The Magnanimous Lover"; Gals-' 
worthy's "The Eldest Son"; Houghton's "Hindle Wakes"; Jones's 
"The Hypocrites" ; all four on one special phase of this topic. 

5. The "Woman with a Past" and the "Woman with a Present": 

Discussion of Pinero's "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray," a tragic "prob- 
lem" play, which proves nothing, since accident determines the issue; 
among the early English plays to treat a social question with serious- 
ness; has held its own upon the stage through its clever teehnique-now 
somewhat antiquated. (Questions 3, 4a, 7, 8, 9.). Compare plays named 
under 3; also Galsworthy's "The Fugitive" Ibsen's "The Wild Duck"; 
Jones' "Mrs. Dane's Defense"; Pinero's "Iris"; Sudermann's "The Joy 
of Living." 

6. Labor and Capital; Social Justice: Discussion of Galsworthy's 
"Strife," which shows two great forces in conflict, personified in two 
human figures; masterly in technique and characterization, but ineffec- 
tive on the stage in that the author's point of view is so impartial and 
detached as to give the audience no opporunity to "take sides." (Ques- 



tions 3, 4d, 7, 8.) Compare Bergstrom's "Lynngaard and Co."; Fran- 
cis' "Change". 

7. The Law: Discussion of Brieux's ''The Red Robe," a terrific in- 
dictment of the French judicial system; so admirable in technique as 
to repay minute study; a great social play in which the thesis is not 
obtruded but grows naturally out of the action. (Questions 3, 4a, 4d, 
9.) Compare Galsworthy's "Justice" and "The Silver Box." 

8. Poverty, Philanthropy: Shaw's '-Major Barbara"; Galsworthy's 
"The Pigeon," and plays under 7; for Yellow-Journalism, Bennett's 
"What the Public .Wants and Fagan's "The Earth.'' 

B. PLAYS OF DOMESTIC LIFE 

1. The Family as a Whole, Its Final Ruin or lis Regeneration: 

Discussion of Tchekhov's "The Cherry Orchard." which shows an aris- 
tocratic but degenerate Russian family losing property and position 
and supplanted by the new order; a play characteristic of Russian^ 
drama in its subtle characterization, half lights, and suggestivenessi 
(Questions 1, 4b, 4e, 7..) Compare Barkers "The Yoysey Inheritance^ 
and "The Madras House"; Becque's "The Vultures"; Bjornson's "A. 
Bankruptcy"; Giacosa's "Like Falling Leaves"; Pinero's "The Thunl 
derbolt." | 

2. Relations Between Parent and Child: Discussion of Hervieu4 

'"The Trail of the Torch," which shows a woman torn by the conflict of 
duties toward her mother and her daughter, the struggle between the 
generations ;an impressive pla v in which the problem is almost too nice- 
ly worked out to be quite convincing. (Questions 4, 5, 7.) Compare 
\ Bennett and Knoblauch's "Milestones"; Galsworthy's "Joy"; Hough- 
's "The Second Generation" ;Sowerby's "Rutherford and Son." 

3. Parenthood as a domestic problem; heredity, etc.: Discussion of 

Strindberg's "The Father," a naturalistic tragedy of family life, in 
which husband and wife fight for control of the child: abnormal, per- 
haps brutal ,as the picture of a woman obsessed by "sex hatred" and 
determination to rule at any-cotet; remarkable for its technique. 
(Questions 3, 4d, 5, 8.) Compare Hauptmann's "The Rats"; Ibsen's 
"Ghosts"; Pinero's "Mid-Channel." 

4. Relations Between Husband and Wife: Marital Adjustments: 

Discussion of SudermannVThe Yale of Content." a serious play with a 
happy ending, which shows a wife born to superior social position 
adapting herself to circumstances and learning to love her husband as 
his character is revealed to her in the play. (Questions 2, 5, 7.) Com- 
pare Hervieu's "Know Thyself"; Moody's "The Great Divide." 

5. ( 4 continued ) Discussion of Fitch's "The Truth." an excellent 
comedy about a wife who habitually lies to her husband but who re- 
forms when she finds where her habit has led her; one of the best 
American plays. (Questions 3, 4e, 7, 8.) Compare Chambers' "The 



^ 



Tyranny of Tears"; Shaw's "Candida." 

6. Plays Of Marital Disaster: Ibsen's "Hedda Gabler";Hauptmann's 
"Lonely Lives," Drayman Henschel"; Strindberg's "Comrades." 



III. SATIRE 

In Satire the criticism of life passes into ridicule. Satire is a point 
of view, a mood, which exaggerates absurdities, follies, and incongrui- 
ties, so as to render them ridiculous. Satire is apt to rely less upon 
plot than upon more or less detached situations and clever dialogue. 
In almost all light comedy, even "realistic" comedy, is a hint of satire. 
The "high comedy" and even its lighter sister, "artificial comedy," 
which flourish in England but are rare in America, are the product of a 
^highly sophisticated society, and pass easily into pure satire. Even when 
apparenly the most frivolous satiric comedy often conceals a truth, 
an idea. Shaw is, of course, the greatest contemporary master of the 
satiric play. See Chandler, ch. XVII, for a discussion of Shaw as a sati- 
rist. 

1. Dicussion of Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," a 
"comedy of wit" and in part a satire upon certain follies of English 
society; the most brilliant of modern English "artificial comedies"; the 
plot, farcical, with several irresistible situations; the dialogue, witty 
to the last degree; the characters mere puppets. (Questions la, lc, 7, 
8.) Compare Barrie's "The Admirable Crichton"; Bennett's "The Ti- 
tle"; Mitchell's "The New York Idea"; Schnitzler's "Anatol"; 
Shaw's "Man and Superman." 

2. Discussion of Shaw's "Candida," a comedy of domestic life, per- 
haps Shaw's best play, in which the satire on the husband's miscon- 
ception of himself is subtle and profound; a play with a distinct idea 
strikingly worked out. (Questions 2, 4d, 4e, 7, 8.) Compare Davies' 
"The Mollusc"; Ha'nkin's "The Cassilis Engagement" and "The Charity 
that Began at Home"; Shaw's "Arms and the Man" and "You Never 
Can Tell." 



IV. ROMANCE 

The essence of romance lies in an attempt to escape from the limi- 
tations of reality into the world of pure imagination; romance pre- 
sents the exceptional, in action and character; its speech is idealized; 
it is concerned less with truth of fact than with beauty or with ideal 
and univeral truth. See Chandler, ch. III. 

1. Discussion of Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac." one of the most 
celebrated of modern plays; a romance of adventure, in verse, tragic 
in outcome, but called by the author"a heroic comedy"; an astonishing 
tour-de-force of humor, wit, satire,, and sentiment with an excellent 
theatrical situations; illogical in motivation and perhaps unsound in 



characterization, but brilliant and entertaining. (Questions la, 1c, 7, 
8.) Compare D'Annunzio's "Franceses de Rimini"; Phillips' "Paolo 
and Francesca"; Synge's "Deidre of the Sorrows", for other types 
of the remantie tragedy in verse. 

2. Discussion of Maeterlinck's "Pelleas and Melisande," a roman- 
tic tragedy of young love, that employs symbolism to suggest things be- 
yond the reach of the senses; a drama of "suggestion" rather than ex- 
ternal action, yet with several great dramatic situations; remarkable for 
tragic passion, essential humanity, and beauty of speech. (Questions 
la* 4b, 4d, 6, 8.) Compare, for other types of romantic plays in prose, 
Barker and Housmann's "Prunella" ; Dusany's "Gods of the Moun- 
tain" and "King Argimenes and the Unknown Warrior"; Synge's Dei- 
dre of the Sorrows." See also Symbolism and Mysticism, 



V. SYMBOLISM; MYSTICISM; ALLEGORY; FANTASY. 






Symbolism is the suggestion of spiritual truths expressed by naturaf 
objects — symbols, which are at times of great value as a means oJi 
suggestions, and are often forceful and beautful. Symbolism is strictly 
limited in its use on the stage; it is always in danger of being obs curie 
or over-didactic, hence ineffective or tedious; it is most appropriate 
in romance, least so in realism. See Chandler, ch. IV. / 

1. Discussion of Ibsen's "The Wild Duck," perhaps his greatest play 

• a. realistic tragedy of family life, which employs a rather obscure and 

misplaced symbolism, but which fortunately does not depend upon its 

symbolism for its effect. (Questions 4a, B, 5, 7, 8.) Compare Ibsen's 

\ "The Master Builder"; Tchekhov's "The Sea' Gull". 

'2. Discussion of Hauptmann's "The Sunken Bell," a poetic allegory, 
that is, a story whose outer action hides an inner spiritual meaning, 
which employs symbolism rather inconsistently and obscurely, but is a. 
great dramatic poem on a theme of fundamental truth; or a discussion 
of Maeterlinck's "The Blue Bird," a fairy-play allegory, and fantasy. 
full of symbolism. Compare Kennedy's "The Servant in he House." 

;i. Mysticism: a variety of romance leads into the realm of the 

transcendental or the supernatural; it uses suggestion rather than ex- 
plicit statement and appeals purely to the emotions. Discussion of 
Yeats' "The Hour-Glass", "Shadowy Waters", "Cathleen ni Houlihan". 
Perhaps the finest examples of the drama of mysticism and suggestion. 
are Maeterlinck's "The Blin4" and "The Intruder", in which external 
action is replaced by the subtle suggestion of emotional states. Haupt- 
inamrs "Hannele" is also a masterpiece of a different kind. Synge's 
"The Well of the Saints" unites naturalism and mysticism. Fairy 
plays, like Barrie's "Peter- Pan," are akin to this kind, of which the 
variations are many and the examples innumerable. (Questions, 4 b, 
4 c, 6, 8.) .'._, 



4. Discussion of MacKaye's "The Scarecrow", a tragic fantasy, 

which uses allegory and symbolism, based on Hawthorne's story 
"Feathertop". This "tragedy of the ludicrous" shows how love can 
create a soul under the ribs of death. It is one of the finest American 
plays. (Questions, 1 a, 6, 7, 4 d 9.) 

THE NEW DRAMA IN IRELAND 

We now change our point of view and consider the drama of a single 
country. One of the most interesting recent developments of the 
drama is that in Ireland. It runs a wide gamut from the naturalism of 
Synge's "Riders to the Sea", through the farce-comedy of Lady 

Gregory's "Rising of the Moon" and the realism of Ervine's"John Fergu- 
son," to the fantasy and mysticism of Yeats' "Hour Glass" and 
'"Shadowy Waters". Some of these Irish plays have been mentioned 
tinder other headings, but are here brought together for convenience of 
sjudy. See Chandler, ch. XI, XII. 

1. Discussion of Synge's "Riders to the Sea", a tragedy of fate in 
one act, in which the sea itself isthe real protagonist; perhaps the 
finest one-act play in English. 

2. Discussion of Lady Gregory's "Rising of the Moon" and "The 
Workhouse Ward", comedies of the Irish peasantry. Compare Synge's 
"The Tinke'rs Wedding" and "The Playboy of the Western World"; 
Yeats' "A Pot of Broth"; Murray's "The Birthright." 

3. Discussion of plays of Irish mysticism and legend, such as 
Yeats' "Shadowy Waters'" "Land of Heart's Desire", "Cathleen ni 
Houlihan"; and Synge's legend "Deidre of the Sorrows". 

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 

(These questions apply generally to any play, but certain of them 
are indicated in the outline of study as especially appropriate to cer- 
tain plays. To avoid monotony, the order of discussion may be con- 
stantly varied. Greater intereest will be created if the questions are 
distributed for discussion among various members of , the club.) 

la. What in general is the nature of the subject-matter ? What is 
its source — in observation, as in "The Red Robe"? in literature, as in 
"Francesca da Rimini"? in imagination, as in "The Blind"? or in a 
combination of any or all of these? 

Of what type is the play — natur alistic? realistic? etc. 

lb. Is the play in the main intellectual, like "The Madras House" 
and "Getting Married"? or is it in the main emotional, like Maeter- 
linck's plays of mysticism? Does it work by means of explicit state- 
men or by suggestion? Are points left obscure or unexplained? If so, 
why? Does the play instruct? does it entertain? does it annoy, be- 
wilder? 



\ 



tc. Does the play exoloit a single character, like "Cyrano de Ber- 
ucrac"? does it mirror a social condition, like "The Weavers"? does it 
simply suggest a mood, like "The Blind"? does it propound a prob- 
? l9m, like "The Seecond Mrs. Tanqueray"? 

2. Theme: Has the play a distinct theme that can be stated in so 
many words, as can that of "The Gauntlet" and "A Doll's House"? 
Has it a general idea rooted in the verities of human nature, implicit, 
but not stated, as that of "Cyrano"? or is it a play without any idaa or 
theme whatsoever, like "The Importance of Being Ernest"?. 

3. Thesis or Problem: Does the play set forth a problem, ask a 
question, embody a thesis? If so, what is it? Is the problem a trans- 
itory or a permament one-; that is, does it abide in essential human 
nature, as that of "The Labyrinth," or is it the outcome of social eon- / 
ditions, as that of 'Strife'? Is the case merely stated, as m "Justice",/ 
err is a conclusion reached, as in "The Gauntlet"? Is the play made to/ 
tit the thesis, as in "Maternity" and "The Gauntlet," or does the thesip 
seem to grow ineyitably oXit of the play, as in "The Red Robe"? Iff 
the play is a study of social conditions, does the dramatist seem to 
know what he is talking about? Is he thoughtful, truthful, logical]? 
Do you accept his statement, his conclusions? Is he influenced bly 
popular prejudices? by his own prejudices? Is, he behind contempora- 
ry thought*? up with it? ahead of it? 

4. Action; Conflict; Crisis: (a) Has the play a definite plot, i. e., 
a sequence of events showing cause and effect, as in "The Second Mrs. 
Tanqueray", "The Labyrinth", "Magda"? Is there more than one 
plot? if so, what is the -interrelation of the plot? Is it structural, i. 
c, does one plot assist the action of the other; or is it ethical, i. e., 
does one plot strengthen the other by contrast, as in "The Wild Duck"? 
ol is it both structural and ethical, as in "A Doll's House"? 

(b) Is the action chiefly internal that is, psychological as in "The 
Cherry Orchard," or etxernal, that is, physical? Which is the more 
'•dramatic" kind of action? 

(c) Is the pla v devoid of any consistent, progressive action? Is it 
a series of pictures and discussions, like "The Madras House"? Is it a- 

- un long conversation, like "Getting Married"? Is it simply 
a picture, like "The Lower Depths" ? Is it the mere suggestion of emo- 
tional states, culminating finally and suddenly in one definite event, as 
. aetevlinck's plays. 

(d) Dramatic Conflict: Does the play contain a struggle between 
opposing forces, i. e., between two human wills? between one will and 
many, as in "The Father"? between twb sets of characters, as in "The 
Weavers" and "Strife"? Is the struggle within the man himself, be- 
tween duty and inclination, as in "The Labyrinth"? Is it between the 
human will and organized society, as in "The Red Robe"? Is it between 
man and nature, as in "Riders to the Sea" and "The Good Hope"? 



Doesthe outcome of the conflict satisfy you? is it natural, reasonable; 
inevitable, as in "Mag-da" and "The Labyrinth-? is it brought about by 
accident, as in "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray"? is it strained and dis- 
torted, as in "The Father"? 

(e) Crisis: If the play has no conflict, has it a "crisis", i. e.. a 
turning point in the lives of the characters which influences their des- 
tinies, as in "The Cherry Orchard"? Or is there neither conflict nor 
crisis, as in "The Madras". House and "The Pigeon"? Are such 
"static" plays dramatic"? 

(f) The drama Of diSCUSSion: If the essence of the drama be ac- 
tion, then such plays as "The Madras House" and Getting Married" 
are not dramas. In such plays do the mere ideas make up for the lack 

yof action? Is the purely intellectual content too great? Can ther be 
an intellectual "action" as legitimate and effective as the action of 
trie ordinary plot"? 

5. Structure: Does the play present only the last scenes of a long 
story, as in "The Wild Duck"? If so, how is the audience told what 
happened before the play begins? Is this information given at first, as 
in "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray", or is it distributed throughout the 
play, as in "The* Vale of Content" - am: "The Cherry Orchard"? 

Is it only narrated or is it actually dramatized? Do the acts of the 
play seem to conform to any rhythm of the action, or to any develop- 
ment of the ideas? Does any part of the play seem unnecessary? Is 
there any one scene in which a climax is reached, as in Act III of "The 
.Second Mrs. Tanqueray" and Act III of "The Red Robe"? Is the struc- 
ture firm, well-knit, coherent, as in "The Red Robe", "The Father"? or 
is it loose, apparently disconnected, as in "The Madras House"? / 
Does the curtain fall upon a "strong" situation, as in "The Second, 
Mrs. Tanqueray", "The Red Robe", "The Father"; or upon a quiet 
scene as in "Strife", "The Cherry Orchard", "The Madras House"? 
Which kind of close is more effective? 

6. Setting: Is the setting real or ideal? Is it essential to the ac- 
tion? Is it minutely worked-out, as in the plays of Ibsen, Galsworthy. 
and Barker, and made essential to the play? Is it so important as al- 
most to be part of the action, as in "Pelleas and Melisande"? 

7. Characters: Are they individuals, as in "Strife" and "The 
Vale of Content", or arethey mere types, as in "The Importance of Be- 
ing Earnest" and "Getting Married"? *Are they real or ideal? Do they^ 
dominate the action, as in "Magda" and "Cyrano", or are they simply* 
passive, as in "The Cherry Orchard"? Do they help to carry on the 
action, as in "A Doll's House", or do they simply form part of the 
milieu, as in "The "Weavers", "Strife", and (as regards the majority) 
"Cyrano"? Do they illustrate various points of view and asp< 

the question under discussion, as in "The Madras House" and • 



Married"? How do they react upon one another? Do they add to 
your knowledge of human nature? 

8. Dialogue: Is the speech supposedly that of real life as in 
"Strife", or is it admittedly idealized, as in "Pelleas and Melisande"? 
If supposedly real, does it produce the illusion of reality? Does the 
dialogue further the action and reveal character, as in "The Red 
Robe", or does it exist largely for its own sake — for its wisdom or its 
wit, as in ''The Importance 'of Being Earnest", "The Madras House," 
"Getting Married"? Is the dialogue more important than the action? 
If so, how is interest sustained? 

9. Stage qualities: Would the play be successful on the stage? 
Why? What are its good points? Why would it interest or fail to in- 
trest, an audience? Would this interest, or lack of interest, be to the 
credit or the discredit, of the audience? What are its "strong" 
scenes? Would it be easily staged? easily acted? Read a eharac-J 
teristic scene in order to gain some idea of what effect it might pro- 
duce upon the stage. 

A SELECTED READING-LIST OF CONTEMPORARY PLAYS. 




(This list includes all plays mentioned in the program of study, ana 
many others. Many imporant Continental plays are excluded by tlie 
fact that they have not yet been tranlated into English. An abbrevia- 
tion, such as C. C. D., after a play means that the play is accessible 
in a collection. For explanation of abbreviations, see list. All plays 
can most conveniently be purchased hrough the N. Y. Drama League, 7 
Last 42nd St., New York City. The prices given are the latest avail- 
able, but are subject to change. 

BELGIUM 

lueterlinck, Maurice: The Blue Bird (1.75); The Burgomaster of 
Stilemonde (1.75); Monna Vanna (1.20); The Blind, The Intruder, The 
Seven Princesses, The Death of Tintagiles, 1 vol. (1.25); Joyzelle, 
Monna Vanna, I vol. (1.75); Pelleas and Melisande (C. C. D.), I vol. 
(1.75.) 

Verhaeren,, Emile: The Dawn (Small, Mavnard & Co., 1.00; Sergei 
1.25) 

DENMARK 

Bergstrom, Hjalmar: Karen Borneman, Lynggaard and Co., 1 vol. 
(1.50) 

ENGLAND 

Baker Elizabeth: Chains (.75) 

Barker, Grannville: The Madras House (1.00); Prunella with Law- 
rence Housmann(1.25) ; the Voysey Inheritance. The Marrying of Anne 
Leete, Waste, 1 vol., (1.50) 



Barrie, J. M.: The Admiable Crichton (1.00); Half Hours, 4 short 
plays (1.50); Quality Street (1.00); What Every Woman Knows (1.00) 

Bennett, Arnold: Judith (1.00); Milestones with E. Knoblauch 
(1.00); The Title (1.00); What the Public Wants (1.00) 

Besier, Rudolph: Don (1.00) 

Cannan, Gilbert: James and John, with other plays (1.25); Everybo- 
dy's Husband (.75) 

Chambers, C. Haddon? The Tyrrany of Tears (paper .50) 

Chesterton, G. K. : Magic (1.25) 

Colum, Padriac: Thomas Muskerry(R. B. D.), with other plays, I vol. 
(1.25) 

Davies,Hubert Henry: The Mollusc (paper .50) 

Dusany, Lord: The Gods of the Mountain. King 1 Argimenes and the 
\jnknown Warrior, in Five PlaVS,l vol. (1.25) 

'•Ervine, St. John: John Ferguson (1.35) The Magnanimous Lover, 
Mixed Marrag'e, 1 vol. (1.25) 

Fagan, James B. : The Earth (1.00) 

Francis, J. O. Change (.75) 

Galsworthy, John: The Eldest Son, Joy, Justice, The Pigeon, The 
Box, Strife, each in 1 vol. (1.35; Justice, The Little tDream, The 
Eldest Son, 1 vol. (1.35); The Pigeon, The Fugitive, The Mob 1 vol. 
(135); Joy, The Silver Box, Strife,, 1 vol. (1.35) 

Gregory, Lady Augusta: The Rising of the Moon, The Workhouse 
Ward, in Seven* Short Plays, I vol. (1.50) 

Hankin, St. John: The Cassilis Engagement (R. B. D.), and the 
Charity that Began at Home, each in I vol. paper (.25); The Constant 
Lover (Theatre Arts Magazine, April, 1919, .50) 

Houghton, Stanley: Hindle W^akes (.75) 

Jones, Henry Arthur: The Crusaders (French, .75, Macmillin) ; Dolly 
Reforming Herself (.50); The Hypocrites (.75); Mary Goes First (.75). 
Mrs. Dane's Defense (.75); Michael and his Lost Angel (C. C. D.)(.75 

Lawrence, D. H. : The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd (1.00) 

Masefield, John: The Tragedy of Nan (1.25); The Tragedy of Pom- 
pey the Great (R. B. D.) (1.25) 

Murray, T. C. : The Birthright (paper .50) 

Phillips, Stephen: Herod (1.25); Paolo and Francesca (1.25.) 

Pinero,Arthur W T . : Iris, Mid-Channel, The Second Mrs. Tranqueray 
(C. C. D.), The Thunderbolt, each .50 (paper). 

Shaw, George Bernard: Arms and the Man, Candida, The Doctor's 
Dilemma, Caesar and Cleopatra, Getting Married, Major Barbara, 
Man and Superman, You Never Can Tell, each .40 (paper) ; Arms and 
the Man, Candida, The Man of Destiny, You Never Can Tell, 1 vol. 

(2.50); Caesar and Cleopatra, in Three Plays For Puritans, I vol. 

(2.50); The Doctor's Dilemma, Getting Married, The Shewing Up of 
Banco Posnet, 1 vol., (2.50) 





Sowerby, Githa: Rutherford and Son (1.25) 

Synge, John: Deidre of the Sorrows (.75); The Playboy of the Wes- 
tern World, (1.00); Riders to the Sea. (C. C. D., R,. B. D.); The Sha- 
dow of the Glen (.60); The Well of the Saints (1.00) 

Wilde, Oscar: The Importance of Being Earnest (R. B. D.) ; (50); 
Lady Windermere's Fan (C. C. D.),(each .50, paper) 

Yeats, W. B, : Cathleen ni Houlihan, (R. B. D.), The Hour Glass, (C. 
C. D.), A Pot of Broth, 1 vol. (1.25); The Countess Cathleen, The 
Land of Heart's Desire, The Shadowy Waters, On Baile's Strand, The 
King's Threshold, 1 vol., (2.00) 

Zangwill, Israel: The Melting-Pot (1.25.) 

FRANCE 

Becque, Henri: The Vultures (translated as The Crows, The Drama/ 
Feb., 1912, .75); The Vultures, The Woman of Paris, The Merry-go- 
round, 1 vol. (1.25) i 

Brieux, Eugene: Maternity, The Three Daughters of M.Dupont, 1 v«ft 
(1.50); Woman on her Own, False Gods, The Red Robe (C. C. D.) 1 
vol. (1.50); The Escape, Blanchette, 1 vol., (1.25) / 

Capus, Alfred: The Adventurer (The Drama, , 1914, .75); Brig- 

nol and his Daughter (.50) 

Donnay, Maurice: The Other Danger «T. M. P. ); (The Drama Ajug. 
1913. .75") ; Lovers, The Free Woman, They, 1 vol. (1.50) 

Hervieu, Paul: Know Thyself (C. C. D.) ; The Labyrinth (1.00.); 
The Trail of the Torch (.75.) 

Lavedan, Henri: Le Prince d'Aurec (T. M. P.) 

LeMaitre, Jules: The Pardon (T. M. P.); (as Forgiveness, Poet Lore, 
1.50) 

Porto-Riche, Georges,: Francoise' Luck (F. P.) 

Rolland, Romain : The Fourteenth of July and Danton (1.50) 

Rostand, Edmond: Chantecler(1.25) ; Cyrano de Bergerac, translated 
fyy Gertrude Hall (1.00); L'Aiglon (1.50) ; The Romancers (paper, .25) 
GERMANY AND AUSTRIA 

Halbe. Max: The Rosenhagens (Poet Lore 1910, 1.50); Youth, (.75) 
Harleben, Otto Erich: Hanna Jagert (Poet Lore, 1912, 1.50) 
Hauptmann. Gerhart : Drayman Henschel(1.25) ; Hannele(l.OO) ; The 
Sunken Bell(.75); The Weavers (C. CD.) (1.00) ; The Weavers, Before 
Dawn, The Beaver Coat, The Conflagration, 1 vol.; Drayman Henschel, 
Rose Bernd, The Rats, 1 vol.; Lonely Lives, Reconciliation, Col- 

league Crampton, 1 vol.; Hannele, The Sunken Bell, Henry of Aue, 1 
Vol. (each 2.00) 

Hofmannsthal, Hugo von: Elektra (1.00); Death and the Fool, 
(1.00); (Poet Lore, 1913, 1.50) 

Schnitzler, Arthur : Anatol, adapted by Barker (1.00) ; Light o' 
Love (The Drama, Aug., 1912, .75); Anatol, The Green Cockatoo, and 



four other plays, I vol.; The Lonely Way, Intermezzo, Countess Mizzi, 
1 vol. (each 1.50) 

Sudermann, Hermann,: The Joy of Living (1.25); Magda (1.00); The 
Vale of Content (C. C. D.) 

Wedekind, Franz: The Awekening of Spring (1.25) 

HOLLAND 

Heijermans,Hermann : The Good Hope (The Drama, Nov., 1912, w 
,75.) 

ITALY 

D'Annunzio, Gabriele: The Daughter of Jorio (1.50); Francesca da 
Rimini (1.25); Gioconda (1.00) 

Giacosa, Guiseppe: As the Leaves (The Drama, Feb., 1911, .75); The 
Stronger (The Drama, May, 1913, .75) ; Like Falling Leaves, The 
Stronger, Sacred Ground, 1 vol. (1.25) 

INDIA 

Tagore, Rabindraneth : The King of the Dark Chamber (The Drama, 
May, 1914, .75); The Post Office, (1.00.) 

NORWAY 

Bjornson, Bjornsterne: The Bankrupt, The Editor, The King, I vol., 
Everyman's Lib. (90) ; A Gaunltet, Leonarda, The Nkwly-Married Cou- 
ple, 1 vol., Everyman's Lib. (90); The Gauntlet, Beyond our Power, The 
New System, I vol. (1.50) 

Ibsen, Henrik: A Doll's House, Little Eyolf (each 1.25); A Doll's 
House, Ghosts, An Enemy of the People, 1 vol. Boni & L., .90) ; Hed- 
da Gabler, Pillars of Society, The Master Builder, 1 vol. (Boni & L 
1.25) ; An Enemy of the People, Ghosts, The Warriors of Helgoland, 1 
vol., A Doll's House, The Lady from the Sea, The Wild Duck,l vol. (eael 
1.90, Everyman's Lib.); An Enemy of the People, The Wild Duck 
vol., Rosmersholn, The Lady from the Sea, 1 vol., Hedda Gabler, 
Master Builder, 1 vol., Little Eyolf, John GaBriel Borkman, When We 
Dead Awaken, 1 vol. (each 1.25, Scribner's) 

RUSSIA 

Andreyev, Leonid: Anathema (1.25); The Black Maskers, The Sa- 
bine Women, I vol. (1.50); Savva, The Life of Man, I vol. (1.50.) 

Artzibashef, Michael : War, (1.00 ) ;(The Drama, Feb., 1916, .75). 

Gorky, Maxim: The Lower Depths, (1.00); (as A Night Shelter, 
Poet Lore, 1905.) 

Ostrovsky, Alexander: The Storm (1.00) 

Tchekhov, Anton: The Sea Gull, The Cherry Orchard (C. C. D.) I 
vol. (1.50); The Sea Gull, Uncle Fanya, Ivanov, The Swan Song, I 
vol. (1.50); The Cherry Orchard, with seven other plays, 1 vol. (1.25); 
The Sea Gull (Poet Lore, 1.50.) 




\ 




Tolstoi, Leo : The Power of Darkness, The Fruits of Culture, I vol. 
(1.50); The Fruits of Enlightenment (1.50); The Man Who Was Dead. 

SPAIN 

Benavente, Jacinto : The Bonds of Interest (with three other plays, 
1 vol.) 1.75; (The Drama, Nov., 1915, .75) 

Dieenta, Joaquin: Juan Jose (C. S. D.) 

Echergaray, Jose: Folly or Saintliness, The Great Gale- 
oto, 1 vol. -^2.00); As Madman or Saint (Poet Lore, 1.50); The 
Great Galeoto (Doubleday, Page, 75c Badger, 1.00 M. M. S. D.): 
The Son of Don Juan (1.25) 

Galdos, Benito Perez: Electra (C. S. D ; The Drama, May, 1911, 75); 
The Duchess of St. Quintin, M. M.S. D.) 

Guimera, Angel: Marta of the Lowlands, (.75) 

Marquinae, Eduardo : When the Roses Bloom Again (C. S. D.) 

Quintero, Joaquin and Serarin Alvarez: The Women's Town (C.S.D.)f 

Rivas, Manuel Linnares: The Claws ( C. S. D. ) 

SWEDEN 
Strindberg, August: Countess Julia (Brown Bros., 1.50; Luce; Scrib- 
ners'; Creditors (1.50); The Father (C. C. D. ) (1.50); There are 
Crimes arid Crimes (1.50); The Link, The Dream Play, The Dance of 
Death, 1 vol., (Scribner's 1.50); Miss Julia, There are Crime and 
Crimes, Creditors, The Stronger, Pariah, 1 vol., (1.50); The Father, 
Countess Julia, The Outlaw, The Stronger, 1 vol., (1.50) ; Comrades, 
Facing Death, Pariah, Easter, 1 vol. (1.50) 

UNITED STATES 

BroAvn, Alice: Children of Earth (.75) 

Crothers, Rachel: A Man's World (1.00); He and She (C. C. D.) 

Fitch, Clyde: The Girl With the Green Eyes (.50); The Truth (C. C. 
D. ; .50 ) ; The Girl With the Green Eyes, The Stubborness of Geraldine, 

er Own Way, 1 vol., (1.50); The Truth, The Woman in the Case, The 

ty, 1 vol., (1.50.) 

Glaspell, Susan: Suppressed Desires, four one-act plays, 1 vol. (.50); 
Bernice (Theatre Arts Magazine, Oct., 1919, .75) 

TIazleton, G C, and Benrimo, Henry: The Yellow Jacket (1.25); 

Kennedy, Charles Rann: The Servant in the House (4.25) 

Kenyon, Charles: Kindling (.75) 

MaoKeye,Percy: The Scarecrow (1.25) (C.C. D.; R. A. B.) 
Middleton, George: Embers and other one-act plays (1.25); Tradition, 
and other one-act plays (1.35) 

Mitchell, Langdon: The New York idea (R. A. P. Paper .50) 

Moeller, Philip: Moliere (1.50) 

Moody, William Vaughn: The Faith Healer (R A. P.); (1.25); The 
Faitli Healer, The Great Divide (C.C. D. ), 1 vol., (1.50) 



O'Neill, Eugene: The Moon of The Carribees, seven one-act plays 
(1.35); Thirst, five one-act plays (1.00) 

Peabody, Josephine: Marlowe (1.35); The Piper (1.50) 
Robinson, Edwin Arlington: Van Zorn (1.25) 
Sheldon, Edward: The Nigger (1.25) 
Thomas, A. E. : Her Husband's Wife (.75). 

Thomas, Augustus: As a Man Thinks (1.25); The Witching Hour (C. 
C. D.) 

Williams, Jesse Lynch: And So They YJere Married (1.25) 

CRITICAL WORKS 

(The critical biography of the drama is enormous The books named 
in this list will prove useful. Those marked * are especially recom- 
\ mended for this course.) 

1. For a general survey: Chandler, F. ■ w., * Aspects of Modern 
torama (2:00); Heuderson, Archibald, The Changing Drama (1.50); Le- 
ksohn, Ludwig, The Modern Drama 1.50) 

2. For a discussion of individual dramatists: Clark, Barrett H., * 
The British and American Drama of Today (1.75); * The Continental 

Drama Of Today (1.35) (these books together discuss 54 leading dra- 
matists, very briefly, with suggestions for the study of representative 
plays.); Dukes, Ashley * Modern Dramatists (Barker, Bjornson, Gals- 
worthy, Brieux, Capus, G©rky, Hauptmann, Heijermans, D'Annunzio, 
von Hofmannsthal, Maeterlinck, Schnitzler, Shaw, Strindberg, Suder- 
mann, Tchekhov, Tolstoy, Wedekind) (1.50); Henderson, Archibald, 
European Dramatists (Barker, Ibsen, Maeterlinck, Shaw, Strindberg, 
Wilde) (1.50); Hale, E. E., Dramatists Of Today (Hauptmann, Mae- 
terlinck, Phillips, Pinero, Rosand, Shaw, Sudermann, ) (1.50); Hune 
ekr, James, Iconoclasts, (Becque, D'Annunzio, Gorky, Hauptmann, He^l 
vieu, Ibsen, Maeterlinck, Shaw, Strindberg, Sudermann) (1.50) 

3. On the Theory of the Theatre : Andrews, Charlton, The Technique 
of Play-Writing; Archer, William, Play-Maiking, a Manual of Craft- 

mansllip (2.00); Baker, George P., Dramatic Technique (3.00); Hamil- 
ton, Clayton, The Theory of the The Theatre (1.50); Matthews, Brand- 
ner, A Study of the Drama (1.25) . 

4. On the New Theatre and the Future: Cheney, Sheldon, The 
New Movement of the Theatre (2.00) : Craig, Gordon, On the Art of the 
Theatre ( ); Dickinson, Thos. H., The Insurgent Theatre (1.25); 
Moderwell, H. K., The Theatre of Today. ( ) . 




1 




VOLUMES WHICH CONTAIN SELECTED CONTEMPORARY PLAYS 

(C. C. D.) Chief Contemporary Dramatists, 20 plays: Barker, "The 

Madras House"; Brieux, "The Red Robe"; Bjornson, "Beyond Our 
Power"; Fitch, "The Truth"; Galsworthy, "Strife"; Gregory, Lady Au- 
gusta, "The Rising of the Moon"; Hauptmann, "The Weavers"; Her- 
vieu, "Know Thyself"; Jones, "Michael and his Lost Angel"; MacKaye, 
"The Scarecrow"; Maeterlinck, "Pelleas and Melisande"; Moody, "The 
Great Divide"; Pinero, "The Second Mrs. Tanqueray" ;Strindberg, "The 
Father"; Sudermann, "The Vale of Content"; Synge, "Riders to the 
Sea"; Tchekhov, "The Sea Gull"; Thomas, Augustus, "The Witeh^r 
Hour"; Wilde, "Lady Windemere's Fan"; Yeats, "The Hour Glasf." 
(2.75) 

(C. S. D.) Contemporary Spanish Dramatsits, 6 plays: Dicenta, 

"Juan Jose"; Galdos, "Electra"; Marquinae, "When the Roses Bloom 
Again"; Quintero, "The Women's Town"; Rivas, "The Claws"; Zama- 
cois, "The Passing of the Magi." (2.50). 

(F. P.) Four Play of the Free Theatre: Ancey, "The Dupe"; Cu- 

rel, "The Fossils"; Jullien, "TheSerenade"; Porto-Riche, "Fran- 
coise' Luck." (1.75) . 

(M. M. s. D.) Masterpieces of Modern Spanish Drama, 3 plays: 

chergaray, "The Great Galeoto" ; Galdos, "The Duchess of St. Quen- 
i"; Guimera, "Daniala." ( ). 

(R. A. P.) Representative American Plays. 2; 7 contemporary: 

Crothers, "He and She"; Fitch "Her Great Match"; MacKaye, "The 
Scarecrow"; Mitchell, "The New York Idea"; Moody, "The Faith Hea- 
ler"; Sheldon, "The Boss"; Thomas, Augustus, "The Witching Hour." 
(2.75). 

(R. B. D.) Representative British Drama, Victorian and Modern, 21 

plays, 12 cotemporary: Barker, "The Madras House"; Colum, "Thom- 
as Muskerry" ;Dunsany, "The Gods oi the Mountain"; Galsworthy, "The 
Silver Box"; Gregory, Lady Augusta, "The Workhouse Ward"; Hankin, 
The Cassilis Engagement; "Jones, "The Masqueraders" ; , Masefield, 
"The Tragedy of Pompey the Great"; Pinero," "The Gay Lord Quex"; 
Synge, "Riders to the Sea; w Wilde, "The Importance of Being Earn- 
est"; Yeats, "Cathleen ni Houlihan." (4.00.) 

(T. M. P.) Three Modern Plays from the French: Donnay, "The 

Other Danger;" Lavendan, "Le Prince d'Aurec;" LeMaitre, "The Par- 
don;" (1.50.) 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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